Sunday, June 15, 2014

Lamb, Low and Slow

Seasoned, but not cooked yet

My favorite red meat is lamb, so for our Memorial Day block party I bought a gorgeous six-pound bone-in shoulder from Border Springs at the Reading Terminl Market and treated it has I would pulled pork, only with Greek seasonings rather than as barbecue.

Just like pork, low-and-slow is the way to go. I set my oven on 200F (using a seperate oven thermometer to insure the right level of heat, since different ovens may or may nor be able to keep a steady temp when set so low). The meat went into the oven in a covered earthenware pot at 11 p.m., and I next checked it at 8 a.m. It was perfectly done. (As I recall, my instant meat thermometer read 190F; lamb shoulder, like some cuts of pork, is actually better medium-to-medium-well than medium-rare, and is quite forgiving even when well-done, so long as it's not incinerated.) After a rest to cool and set the juices I hand-shredded the meat. Served with pita bread and homemade tzaziki, since cucumbers and mint are in season.

The long, slow-cooking allows much of the fat to drain away, but enough fat and collagen remain to keep it moist and tender.

The leftovers went into meal-sized containers for freezing. Once thawed, it's easy enough to reheat by tossing around in a skillet (non-stick works) for a few minutes. Last night I cooked some sweet frying peppers in the pan before adding the meat. And even after a quick three or four-minute sauté the lamb remained juicy.

For the slow roast, I used one of my go-to braising pots, the Black Chamba lidded roaster from Colombia shown at left. The lid is not tight fitting -- intentionally, so the steam can escape and not drown whatever you're cooking. I purchased mine a few years ago from the Santa Fe Cooking School store website where the 10" x 17" version is available for $115, but there are plenty of other on-line shops for this great roaster/braising pot, which I've also used on my gas stovetop. It's also easy to clean with just hot water, no soap. If you've got to scrub a bit, hot water and paper towels work just fine with a minimum of elbow grease.

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About Me

No matter where he travels, Bob investigates local public markets and food purveyors. When he's home in Philadelphia, that primarily means the Reading Terminal Market, but also the Italian Market and various city farmer markets, in season. Needless to say, he's a Big Hungry Boy who enjoys cooking almost as much as eating.